Children in Need

The BBC’s annual Children in Need show in Northern Ireland has raised more than £700,000.

Across the UK, the charity raised a record on-the-night total of over £26,757,446.

As phone lines closed in Northern Ireland at 2am on Saturday, the total stood locally at £793,858.

Sir Terry Wogan, Fearne Cotton, Tess Daly and Nick Grimshaw presented the main appeal show from London, with John Daly and Sarah Travers in Belfast.

Donations were encouraged by performances from a wide range of stars and celebrities.

Meanwhile John Daly and Sarah Travers introduced a combined choir of young people from Grosvenor Grammar School, Lagan College and Lumen Christi College, who joined over 2,000 others from throughout the rest of the UK taking part in a nationwide live rendition of ‘Bridge Over Troubled Water’.

Viewers across Northern Ireland were treated to a night of entertainment as well as some of the stories from local children and young people who have been supported by the charity.

A special television highlights programme from the big night will be shown this evening (Saturday, November 17) on BBC One Northern Ireland from 5.25pm and will include the best bits from the London show as well as reflecting the fundraising activity around NI and how Children in Need money is spent locally.

The hour long programme, presented by John Daly and Sarah Travers, will feature a new performance from the BBC Northern Ireland Children in Need choir and rising Londonderry-born singer/songwriter Soak.

And viewers can still give to the appeal by texting the word DONATE to 70710 during this evening’s programme (Saturday, November 17).

For full terms and conditions visit the website at bbc.co.uk/pudsey. You must be over sixteen and ask the bill payers permission.

Throughout the week, BBC Radio Ulster has supported the appeal.

As part of this, Hugo Duncan and his team raised £26,623 towards this year’s NI total through Hugo’s daily on-air auction which offered a huge range of items with everything from Christmas Trees to a chance for a tour of Hillsborough Castle and its extensive grounds in the company of Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, Theresa Villiers.

Last year on the night the Northern Ireland total was £755,954, contributing to an overall UK total of £46m. Of that £3.2m was spent on 181 grants in Northern Ireland.